January 24, 2010 -
While going through airport screening at Philadelphia International
Airport, on January 5, 2010, Rebecca Solomon, age 22, a student at
University of Michigan who was on her way back to school from winter
break became a victim of a joke played on her by a Transportation
Security Administration worker. "He let me stutter through an
explanation for the longest minute of my life," said Solomon. As Solomon
was going through screening for a Northwest Airlines flight to
Detroit, she passed her personal belongs onto the
conveyor to be x-rayed.

As her belongings began coming out of
the x-ray machine, Solomon was confronted by a TSA worker who questioned
her regarding a plastic bag containing a white powder he had pulled from
her laptop computer bag. The TSA worker requested from Solomon to give
an explanation of what the white substance was in the plastic bag.
Solomon stunned by this discovery stated “it’s not mine”. Within seconds
she franticly tried to process the events in her head in order to come
up with a logical answer to give the TSA worker.

Several
thoughts began to surface within Solomon's thinking as to how this
white powder may have gotten in her bag. She began to think maybe
the substance was drugs and that maybe it was placed their by a drug
dealer, then she considered the substance maybe a bomb making
material placed by a terrorist. Tears began flowing down her face as
she searched for answers and while other passengers who were
standing inline were to seeking answers as well. Solomon began
pleading with the TSA work “I’ve never seen this baggie before.”

The TSA worker turned to a coworker, paused, and then turned back to
Solomon. In hand, the TSA worker waved the baggie of the white substance
in Solomon’s face and stated, with a smile on his face he was kidding
and that the bag belonged to him. The TSA worker paused and then stated
you should see the look on your face and then told Solomon she was free
to go. Passengers who witnessed the events became mortified. Fearing a
reprisal, many passengers kept to themselves fearing an act of vengeance
by the TSA workers continued through screening without discussion.

Solomon angered by
the events sought out a supervisor along with a consoling passenger.
Solomon and one other passenger filled out a complaint form. "I had been
terrified and disrespected by an airport employee he'd joked about the
least funny thing in air travel." While filling out the form, Solomon
was told that the TSA worker she was filing the complaint against, was
at the time training another TSA worker on detecting contraband.

TSA initiated an
investigation into Solomon’s complaint and upon review determined the
employees actions were inappropriate and unprofessional, TSA terminated
this employee. Solomon was notified of the employee’s dismissal.